The astronomical treatise The Book of Fixed Stars is a unique manuscript that contains indisputable evidence that it was created by order of the outstanding son of the Uzbek land Mirzo Ulugbek.
The authenticity and historical value of the manuscript are beyond doubt - it contains a miniature with the image of Mirzo Ulugbek in the form of the constellation Cepheus, circular inscriptions in gold ink and other signs of belonging to the library of the 'scientist on the throne', which was announced as part of the 5th International Congress "Cultural Legacy of Uzbekistan - the Foundation of a New Renaissance".
A facsimile of this ancient manuscript has been prepared by the Austrian publishing house Mueller & Shindler together with the World Society for the Study, Preservation and Promotion of the Cultural Legacy of Uzbekistan as part of the project Cultural Legacy of Uzbekistan in the World Collections.
The author of the work is the famous astronomer and astrologer of the Χ century Abd ar-Rahman ibn Umar al-Sufi. In medieval astronomy, the Book of Fixed Stars became a truly landmark work, and it surely helped the scientist Ulugbek, who worked on creating his own astronomical tables. This manuscript belonged personally to Mirzo Ulugbek, and contains notes written in his own hand.
This manuscript is kept in the collection of the National Library of France.
- We have been collaborating with the Bibliothèque nationale de France for many years, and the facsimile of The Book of Fixed Stars is already the second edition we've made together as the result of our partnership. Prior to that, we created a facsimile copy of the famous religious and philosophical work Miraj-name. We are infinitely happy that with the personal support of the President of Uzbekistan, the Austrian publishing house Mueller & Schindler, the dreams of scientists from all over the world are becoming a reality, because this is utmost important for preservation of the richest cultural heritage of our country. Also, on behalf of the World Society, I would like to express my gratitude to the Embassy of Uzbekistan in France and the oilfield service company EriellGroup for their assistance in the implementation of the project. The value of facsimile editions lies in the fact that they almost completely reflect the appearance of the original manuscript, - said Firdavs Abdukhalikov, Board Chairman of the World Society for the Study, Preservation and Promotion of the Cultural Legacy of Uzbekistan.
He added that the World Society and Mueller&Shindler had already created six facsimile editions of the greatest manuscripts. Among them are the Kattalangar Qur'an from the collections of the Institute of Oriental Manuscripts of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Zafarnama - a description of the life and work of the great ruler and commander Amir Timur, Diwan by Husayn Bayqara, the manuscript Miraj-name, Timur Tuzuklari. All the facsimiles are donated to museums and libraries in Uzbekistan.
